Welcome to the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce

The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1882 when it broke away from the long established Exchange Committee. The first President of the Chamber was Benjamin Carver, a prominent Manchester businessman who along with his brother, William had developed strong links with Gibraltar since the 1840s.

At the time the Chamber’s remit was “for the promotion of measures calculated to benefit and protect the trading interests of its members and the general trade of Gibraltar”.

Over 125 years later the Chamber’s role is as important today as it was then.

This site aims to assist you whether you are a Chamber member, a business or individual thinking about becoming a member or if you are just looking for information about Gibraltar’s business community.

Services

Why join the Chamber?

If you pay business rates and taxes, if you use roads and employ people, if you are overwhelmed by red-tape then policy is your business.

A voice for business

The Chamber’s Policy Team aims to be the true representative voice for business in Gibraltar using its influence, experience and contacts to represent you and lobby on behalf of the business community at all levels.

Strength in numbers

It’s difficult for an individual business to influence policy alone. However as part of a group of businesses led by the Chamber you can have a much stronger voice exerting greater influence on policies affecting business.

Share your concerns with us

We can’t represent you and lobby on your behalf unless we understand your concerns. To see the bigger picture it’s essential we have your input. Don’t stand on the sidelines, contribute to the decisions that count by taking part in members of the Chamber’s Virtual Panels.

Lobbying on your behalf

The Chamber’s Policy Team have a presence on a range of local committees and groups that influence policy making decisions in Gibraltar on issues such as, trade licensing, Terms and Conditions of Employment Board, Labour Advisory Board and EU Funding. We are also interact with business organizations outside Gibraltar.

Members Benefits Programme

Can you afford NOT to join?

Over 300 local businesses operating in all sectors have chosen to become and remain members of the Gibraltar Chamber and the membership is growing year on year.

Why? Because Chamber membership offers a range of benefits and advantages that local businesses cannot find elsewhere. Coupled with the extremely reasonable annual subscription you can see why virtually all of Gibraltar’s leading companies are Chamber members.

So, what do I and my company gain from becoming a member?
Membership offers a series of tangible and intangible benefits designed to embrace the business needs of today’s demanding environment and support you and your staff in your day-to-day operational activities.

Help increase your business

For many individuals and businesses coming to Gibraltar for the first time, a visit to the Chamber of Commerce is almost always on their To Do list. Whether it is to drop off their calling card, gather information about forming a company, ask about finding office accommodation or how to go about finding staff, the Chamber acts as a reliable and trusted conduit for new businesses. In this role we always act in a transparent and fair manner. We provide visitors with lists of companies operating in a particular sector as a first point of contact. This information comes from our member’s database. Members thus benefit from being kept in touch with new business opportunities before others.

Save money

The Chamber tries to save money for members in a variety of ways. Specifically these are in areas such as:

Training, by pooling activities and spreading the cost of training across a number of firms so that no one individual member is lumbered with the cost.

Chamber facilities. Members are able to use the Chamber’s boardroom and meeting room for offsite meetings, discreet interviews, presentations and small receptions at a considerable cost saving compared to other commercial premises.

Export Documentation Service. Companies that need to prepare documents for the export of products overseas can make significant savings through being a Chamber member. Documents such as Certificates of Origin and ATA Carnets are only available from the Chamber. These are issued to members are reduced rates.

Advice on EU Funding. Many Chamber members have benefited from EU funds to expand an existing business or start a new business. The Chamber is able to advise members on funding applications and give an initial assessment on an applicant’s eligibility for funding.

Network and meet new contacts and clients

Perhaps one of the most tangible benefits of membership is that the Chamber opens doors for you and your business. Gibraltar is a very well connected economy and for those who are local, knowing who the right person to contact in a particular company or organization is not usually a problem. However, for those companies who are new to the Gibraltar business community this can be more of a challenge. The Chamber is here to assist in making those connections.

Represent your views to Government

The Chamber represents the interests of its members on several committees and Gibraltar Government advisory boards. If there is an issue that affects your business or the sector in which you operate and it impacts negatively on your business, we would like to try and change it.

For example, in 2004 when the UK Government was considering placing a ban on advertising by online gaming companies not based in the UK, the Gibraltar Chamber lobbied its Government through discreet channels to ensure that the ban did not come into force.

Similarly, when local companies in the hospitality sector experienced continued difficulties in recruiting competent staff, the Chamber made representations to Gibraltar’s Department of Employment with a solution which would help local employers, boost the local economy and at the same time protect the rights of existing workers. The Gibraltar Government has recently adopted this solution.

Keep you informed with changes in legislation

Linked to the point above, since the Chamber is represented on several committees it has an economic early warning system as to proposed changes to legislation. It is able to keep its members informed and where the proposed changes are likely to affect members, then in most cases the Chamber will, in consultation with its members, formulate an appropriate response.

Raise your profile

Whilst the Chamber is not in the business of promoting one member over another, through its well-respected quarterly publication, B2B, the Chamber will seek to help its members keep abreast of newsworthy stories about local businesses, particularly if they are issue-related and impact on a sector as a whole. This publication is sent to all members of the Chamber and also to every Government minister. Stories published are often picked up by other local media and given wider coverage.